UFC 137 Results: Broken Arm Will Derail Brandon Vera's Once-Budding Career

Brandon Vera was once labeled as the future of the lightweight and heavyweight divisions in the UFC.

But after staving off release from the UFC in January, Vera suffered a broken arm in UFC 137 on Saturday against Eliot Marshall, and it could mean an end to his UFC career.

The ironic thing about Vera breaking his arm is that he actually won Saturday's fight via unanimous decision after somehow escaping a rear-naked choke and the injury-inducing armbar.

Vera controlled the first two rounds of the fight with quick punches and kicks, but the third round was brutal for the American out of San Diego. Vera got rocked by a huge punch midway through the third round before he was taken to the mat and almost submitted.

Vera won the first eight fights of his MMA career, accentuated by his first-round TKO of Frank Mir in November 2006. Since then, Vera has fallen hard, going 3-5 before his "no contest" against Thiago Silva in January.

Vera was essentially saved by the fact that Silva tested positive for performance enhancers after their fight, given new life when his UFC career appeared to be over.

Vera showed tremendous heart on Saturday, somehow battling it out to the end despite the broken arm. But he's now 34 years old and the broken arm isn't going to help matters.

It's yet another setback for a fighter who has had many since November 2006. Just when we thought Vera was making a comeback, it's over as soon as it started.

We can only hope that Vera gets back on track, but as the years roll by, it's becoming more and more unlikely that he will ever regain his true form.